Dr Von D Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Snorkeling

The 8th most popular snorkel dive spot in Florida Southeast.

Wednesday 8 March 2017 06:26 GMT

Southeast of Fort Lauderdale and north of Dania Beach, the snorkeling at Dr Von D Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (formerly John U. Lloyd Beach State Park) is well known for its rocky reefs that run parallel to the beach about 300 feet offshore. The reefs are located in water from 10 to 20 feet deep.

During Mizell-Eula Johnson Beach snorkeling, you may encounter seargent majors, French angelfish, parrotfish, green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks and lobster. Also, keep a watch out for the seasonal invasion of the Portuguese Man-O-War, which usually close the beach to swimmers. The best time of day for snorkeling is a morning high tide before the winds kick up the surf. The visibility can be hit or miss.

While some local snorkelers consider the best snorkeling to be just south of the Port Everglades Cut at the north end of the park, other really love snorkeling around the erojacks at southern end of the park. The erojacks are 4 foot tall areconcrete jacks (think the kids toy) that were placed in an east-west line from from the beach out into the ocean to the reef in order to control beach erosion. Incorrectly, many locals think they were installed in World War II to prevent enemy beach landings. The jacks have been in the water for years are are covered with soft corals and sea fans. The best parking for the erojacks is the first parking on the left past the state park fee station, and there is a sign on the beach (“JAX”) marking the offshore erojacks. When snorkeling, you can follow the erojacks east out 1,000 feet to the reef found in 20 foot deep water. Just keep in mind that the area is popular with boat traffic, so it is advisable to use a diver down flag.

After a long day of snorkeling among the Jax, grab a cool drink at the Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale.

To reach the Dr Von D Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park snorkeling from the Florida Turnpike, use Exit #49. Head east on Hollywood Boulevard to A1A. Head north on A1A for about 2.5 miles. The Dr Von D Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park is located at the north end of North Ocean Boulevard.

To reach the snorkeling in southeast Florida by air, there are several options. The most popular option is to fly into Miami International Airport (MIA), which is served by all major US and international airlines. Also nearby, a potentially lower cost option is to fly into Ft Lauderdale airport (FLL). From either of these airports, you can rent a car to drive to the dive site, but watch out for automated cash-less toll highways along the way.